Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Absolutely, community banking is part of the solution. I smiled at what Deputy O'Keeffe said about post offices because I remember in his father’s time, there was a post office in Leinster House.

In relation to the RfP, it is open to Sparkasse or any other international banking organisation to bid and tender for a contract when it is available.

In response to Deputy Canney, I agree that the company needs to do much more to market the services it provides. There is a mechanism in place for a review. The Deputy asked what happens if a retailer looks to provide a service and An Post decides it is not suitable. The appeals committee will examine the decision and it will have the final say.

Through the range of services it has - the debit card for the smart current account, the PostPoint service and the development of it, and the post office service in so far as is possible - An Post is trying to ensure that the vast majority of people, no matter where they live, can avail of post office services where they do their daily or weekly shopping. It will take time to achieve that but that is the core objective of An Post, through the types of provisions Mr. McRedmond and his team have outlined to date. The development and expansion of the PostPoint service could be the innovation to address many of the concerns members have genuinely raised and people are raising in communities throughout the country.